Illusion

by Alexandra Anthony

  Even though it was tempting to just stand and observe him longer, I disappeared into the closet, bringing out the final things I wanted to pack away. Packing away clothing into the luggage gave me time to deduce exactly what Stefan was planning, most likely for my father. He would not be hasty in how he chose to attack. Call it intuition or a hunch, I could sense the smoothly-oiled wheels of his mind cataloging information into the vast filing cabinet of his mind, each piece of information vital to his strategy.

  Zipping up the suitcase, I turned and carried it to stand by its mate at the closet door, my hands on my hips. Logically, I should be disturbed to know that the love of my life was planning my father’s death. I had no emotional tie to my father, the only link I had to Kian was the blood that ran through my veins. The knowledge that he had single-handedly killed my mother quickly alleviated any troubled thoughts that lingered. It was a necessity, as Nikolaus had told Stefan. It was either kill or be killed.

  I wasn’t ready to die.

  I glanced up at the windows where Stefan had been standing only moments ago to find that he had moved silently and swiftly to stretch his long body across the bed, ridding himself of his clothes to lie naked. He was reclining on his back, his long arms behind his head. Even though I’d seen him nude many times, seeing him like this never lost its powerful effect on me. My breathing shifted into rapid pants and I suddenly felt like I had on too many clothes. My concerns were pushed away as I stared at him, transfixed by the sight of his pale skin against the chocolate brown of the duvet cover. My hands moved on their own accord to undress, letting my discarded clothes fall behind me, unwanted and unneeded as I approached the bed.

  He was a paradox of sorts: dark and light, vampire and man. And I craved him like any addict would hunger after the object they desired. He had gotten under my skin in the most mysterious of ways with his charm and beauty.

  He smiled one of his crooked smiles and his arms reached out to tug me to the bed beside of him. He pushed me to my back, opening my legs wide and moving to settle between them, simply staring at the wetness that glistened between my thighs. His fangs were fully out, his blue eyes heavily lidded with his need as he knelt before me. The now familiar excitement of seeing him aroused and filled with want made me desire him so intensely that my entire body cried out for his touch, writhing and arching my back off the bed as I longed for him to touch me.

  “Always so impatient, Josephine.”

  His nostrils flared as he smelled my arousal in the air between us, and his fangs retracted slowly. He parted my folds with his fingers, burying his head between my thighs, his tongue tracing a slow line from my wet pussy to circle around my swollen clit, then returning to delve inside of me. He let out a deep rumble of pleasure, his thumb rubbing over my clit as he sucked and licked, his soft, sensual touch making me shiver at the same time a low moan fell from my lips.

  He raised his head and hovered over me. The burning intensity of his eyes had me trapped, unable to look away.

  “Beg.”

  My eyes stared into his, filled with astonishment. He wanted me to beg? He sat back on his heels and began stroking his full length with long, languid strokes, still staring at me with eyes that beckoned for me to yield to him.

  “Beg,” he repeated. His tongue slipped out to lick across his lower lip eagerly.

  “Please,” I whimpered. I wasn’t above begging when the end result would have him buried inside of me.

  “Please, what? What exactly do you want me to do, Josephine?”

  He was playing dirty, making me tell him what I wanted merely to hear me tell him how badly I needed him.

  Sneaky bastard.

  Trying to make my voice stay low and sultry, I stared deeply into his eyes. “Please, Stefan. I need you…”

  His eyebrow rose slightly and his lips twitched, the speed of his hand on his cock increasing. “Tell me what you need and where you need it.”

  I let out a frustrated groan and bowed my neck against the bed. He was going to kill me. My mind flashed back to the first night I met him and I mused of self-combustion. If he kept this up, I’d be a pile of ashes from all of his sexy talk.

  Sitting up a little, I rested on my elbows. I focused on him so intently that I felt myself slip into his mind, our thoughts fusing together, our desire mingling and fueling the craving that was burning in each of us, threatening to blaze out of control.

  “I need your cock inside of me. Now,” I said in a low growl that was worthy of a vampire.

  His answering smile was triumphant. His fangs dropped again and he lowered the entire length of his long, lean body against me, letting our joining come naturally, his cock sliding deep inside of me. After a moment he ducked his head to kiss my neck, his tongue licking along my pulse point.

  “I love it to hear you talk like that, vackra. Du vänder mig, Josephine,” he said into my ear before his lips drifted to the other side of my neck. My fingers gripped his taut ass to keep his slow, steady rhythm from stopping. This time when he spoke, it was his voice I heard in my mind. “You are so wet for me. Do you want more?”

  “Yes! More!” I panted. He picked up the pace, our bodies starting to make the sounds I associated with our lovemaking: wet sounds of flesh against flesh, our cries and moans matched the frantic rhythm we’d set. “More!”

  “More? You want more?” Stefan asked, his voice a deep rumble in his chest. He leaned closer, the hard muscles of his chest pressing against my breasts, his strong arms on each side of my head, caging me in.

  “Yes! Harder,” I begged, pulling my legs back and letting my heels dig into the firm cheeks of his ass. His eyes darkened and his speed increased, our hips meeting at an almost brutal speed.

  Turning my neck to the side, I moved so my throat was exposed. I wanted him to bite, to take everything I had to offer to him.

  “No!”

  In a flash, he had moved us into a new position. I was kneeling on the bed with my back pressed against his chest, my legs straddling his thighs. He was buried inside of me, deeper than before and moving faster, one hand rubbing circles against my clit. He bucked and I ground my pussy against him, calling out his name with every thrust.

  He raised his other arm to his mouth and I heard the sound of his skin ripping, taken aback when he presented his bloody wrist to me.

  “Drink from me while I fuck you.” His mental voice was heavily accented and filled with lust.

  Without any hesitation my lips attached themselves to him, greedily sucking on his wrist, enjoying the taste of his blood as it made its way down my throat. It wasn’t until I felt his overwhelming emotions that I realized he had bitten me, our blood intermingling, making a complete circuit as we drank from one another.

  “We are one in every way, vackra. Heart, soul, body. Vi är ett evigt.”

  His mental voice was my undoing and I climaxed hard, my body pulsating and shaking as my orgasm felt like it was ripping me apart violently from the inside out. The sounds falling from my lips didn’t even sound human. They were primal grunts and growls, my hands clutching at his thighs as I clamped around him, gripping him with my inner walls.

  I wasn’t alone either. His answering roar was just as animalistic as he pulsed inside of me, his hands moving to grip my breasts in his large hands. Both of our thoughts were filled with our desire to please one another, to claim what we valued above all else. Our love.

  We collapsed against the bed in a heap of arms and legs, lacking the strength or presence of mind to do anything but stay wrapped in each other. His fingers drifted up and down my arm. “It does not matter what happens now or when we get back to New York. You are mine, Josephine. Nothing will take you away from me. Nothing.”

  “Stefan, it’ll be fine. No one is taking anybody anywhere. If Kian tries anything, I’ll kill him myself before I let him hurt you or take me.”

  He turned me in his arms and placed his finger against my lips, silencing me. His eyes narrowed and his face looked hard as he st
ared at me with his piercing eyes. “You and I both know it is not going to be fine. It is a matter of how or when. Not if.”

  His hand gripped my face and he crushed his mouth against mine, his tongue slipping between my lips. He rolled me to my back, deepening the kiss, his hands drifting to the nape of my neck, combing through the waves of my hair. His lips were firm against mine, his mouth hungry and insistent. I wrapped my arms around his back, pulling him closer to me as his thoughts spilled into my mind.

  “I will not lose you. I cannot lose you. No. I will rip apart anyone that attempts to take you from me. Jag kommer att titta på dem drabbas på mina händer och njuta i deras smärta.”

  I broke the kiss, wanting his way of thinking to stop. “Enough! You aren’t going to lose me. Stop talking that way, Stefan. You’re stuck with me.”

  His expression softened and he nipped at my lips playfully between his words. “As you are stuck with me.”

  He disentangled himself from me and stood, regretfully looking down at me. “As much as I wish to stay here, your friends will be arriving soon.”

  Shit! The impromptu going away party. I’d been so wrapped up in worries about Georgia, packing and then distracted with Stefan that I’d forgotten about the get together Anna and Lukas were planning. Lukas had taken off in his red convertible, heading off to meet Anna to plan the last minute get together. I’d been hoping to say my goodbyes to Anna and Georgia separately and bypass a celebration, but once Lukas had planted the seed in Georgia’s mind, there was no going back. Anna just took over the preparations and I just needed to show up.

  Groaning loudly, I covered my eyes with my hands. “I know, I know.”

  He leaned over the bed and pulled my hands away from my face. His blond hair fell across his forehead and his eyes sparkled teasingly. “Shower?”

  Smiling despite myself, I nodded and sat up on the bed. Satisfied that I was right behind him, he turned and strutted towards the bathroom, six-feet-four inches of gorgeous perfection.

  I couldn’t help but admire the view. The muscles in his back moved as he walked, stretching and flexing. And that ass…

  “Let’s go get clean so we can get dirty again later.”

  He spun to face me, shock etched on his face. I’d finally managed to surprise Stefan.

  Jumping up from the bed, I breezed past him, winking at him over my shoulder. “Last one to the shower loses.”

  “I do not think there is a loser if I get you in the shower,” he said, speeding up to catch me and throw me over his shoulder.

  He was right once again. Neither one of us was going to lose.

  * * *

  By the time Stefan and I made it downstairs after our failed attempt at getting clean in the shower, the unofficial party was under way. Lukas had some sort of Latin influenced music playing on the stereo and was busy behind the bar mixing drinks. Anna was perched on one of the stools, sipping away on a margarita, laughing loudly at something Lukas had said. Georgia stood beside them, uncharacteristically quiet. She fiddled with her dark hair and appeared to be uncomfortable. In other words, she was exhibiting very un-Georgia like behavior.

  Glancing up at Stefan, I shot him a concerned look. He raised one of his blond eyebrows, and his mouth was set in a thin, straight line across his handsome face. “You need to talk to her and find out what she is thinking.”

  “I know. I’m afraid of what I’ll find out once I start talking to her.”

  His large hand slipped to rest against the small of my back, leading me towards the small group. Managing to plaster a huge smile on my face, I approached Georgia first.

  “Hey, Georgia.” I reached out and hugged her lightly, concerned when she stood unmoving and stiff, her arms hanging at her sides. I was relieved when she finally returned the hug and laughed lightly. “I’m glad you’re here.”

  “And miss your going away party?” Georgia asked, pulling away and patting my cheek with her manicured hand. Her smile was tight as her gaze flashed to Stefan. He was standing next to me, holding me close against his side. Her smile slowly faded as awareness swept over her face. I had purposely left my shields down tonight so I could monitor Georgia and her emotions were… odd. She wasn’t frightened of Stefan, or even scared. Instead she was emoting smugness and resentment, yet had resigned herself to not cause any trouble. Unconsciously, she had recognized him for what he was, even though she didn’t understand or have a name for it. She sensed he was something different. Not exactly human, but something peculiar.

  As Stefan would say, interesting.

  Anna made a beeline to me, with a drink in hand. She handed it to me and winked, her cheeks flushed. She swayed back and forth for a moment before she whispered loudly to me. “Drink this, Josie. Lukas is the best bartender ever. It’s a shame he’s gay because…”

  “La la la. I don’t want to hear it.” Plugging my ear with my free finger, I shook my head to clear my head of Anna’s drunken chatter. I swallowed down half of my drink in one gulp as Stefan’s handmade reappearance at my back and guided me towards Lukas. His ice blue eyes sparkled as I sat down at the small bar and watched me toy with the stem of my margarita glass.

  “I’m glad you could join the party, Josie. It’s for you after all,” Lukas placed his hands on the bar and rested his weight on his forearms. “It must have been difficult to pull yourself away from the magic Stefan possesses. You know, his magic di…”

  “Shut your mouth, Lukas!” I hissed, pointing a finger at him as a blush spread across my face.

  “Don’t shoot the messenger! Anna and I were just talking.” He waved his hands in surrender. “I’ve spent 175 years with him and I’ve found out more about him since you’ve been in the picture. Magic dick and all.”

  “Lukas,” Stefan muttered his name in warning. Lukas nodded and busied himself in cutting up a lime.

  Anna had wasted no time in telling Lukas about our discussion today. Angrily, I glanced over my shoulder to glare at Anna. She was talking away to Georgia but felt my eyes watching her and glanced up. When she saw the expression on my face, she swallowed and diverted her eyes downward into her drink.

  Sensing my annoyance, Stefan scooted my drink away and took me by the hand just as the music changed.

  “Come dance with me…it is the merengue,” he said, leaning to whisper in my ear.

  “What is it with you and your obsession with dancing, Stefan? I don’t know how to do this.” I tugged against him, attempting free myself of his grasp.

  “I love to dance with you. Come.”

  He began walking seductively backwards, pulling me along with him, his hips moving in time to the music. He drew me to the middle of the spacious living room and spun me once around to face him. He grabbed my right hand with his left and pulled me against him, his right hand splayed across my lower back. His powerful thigh slipped between my legs and we started moving in a one-two rhythm, our hips swaying together to the music. He twirled me around. The infectious music and the enticing way we moved together were making my reservations slip away.

  “See. You are having fun, yes? It is all in the leading.” His mind voice was smug as he tightened his grip on me.

  Stefan seemed to love dancing almost as much as the way my hips moved to the music, if I judged solely by how often his hand would drift down my back to brush against my ass. He’d then wink and twirl me out, pulling me back against him. It was then that I let my eyes sweep over his chest, watching every muscle ripple beautifully as he moved in sync with me. Finally, I looked up and our eyes met, his blue eyes were glowing as our legs and feet moved quickly to match the beat.

  The song ended and he dipped me backwards until my hair touched the floor. When he pulled me back up, his lips aligned with mine. They were soft, his breath warm and sweet. He kissed the side of my mouth, brushing my lips against mine until they parted to allow him in. His soft tongue filled my mouth and our tongues met in a lazy duel, each moment that passed increased the strength of the kiss until I
could barely breathe at all.

  His lips pulled back, although he didn’t look away. His eyes were focused on mine with a force that almost brought me to my knees in front of him. I realized we were in the middle of the living room with three sets of curious eyes focused on us and I shyly cleared my throat.

  “We can’t do this now, Stefan.”

  He pouted for a moment, his teeth catching against his full bottom lip, releasing his grip on my hand and waist. His hand cupped my face, his thumb tracing against my cheekbone. “I know. It was entertaining while it lasted.”

  Giving him an affectionate shove, I didn’t resist when his fingers interlaced with mine. We rejoined our little group that had been watching our display with fascination. Georgia was the only one that chose to speak.

  “You love her.” Her statement sounded more like a question and it was directed to Stefan. He looked down at her for a moment before he replied.

  “As I have told you many times, I love her more than my own existence,” Stefan paused and studied Georgia’s unsmiling face. “If I had to sacrifice my life for her, there would be no choice. She will always come first.”

  “You’ll take care of her?”

  He let out an exasperated sigh. “Georgia, did I just not tell you how I felt for Josephine?”

  “Yeah, yeah. I just had to ask.” She smoothed her hand over her dark hair. “I have friends in New York, you know. I’ll be visiting you. A lot.”

  His entire body tensed for a split second. I’m sure Georgia missed it; however being familiar with his mannerisms I was quick to notice the change in his demeanor.